By Philip Tengzu
Nandom (UW/R), Oct 25, GNA – The Nandom Municipal Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has engaged women’s groups in the municipality on their civic responsibilities, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption.
The engagement, held in Nandom, formed part of the Commission’s ongoing civic education programmes to empower the Ghanaian citizens to exercise their responsibilities in the fight against corruption.
Women’s groups including hairdressers, dressmakers, weavers, market women, widows’ associations, self-help groups, and faith-based organisations, among others, in the Municipality participated in the activity.
Speaking at the engagement, Mr Issahaque T. Angme, the Nandom Municipal Director of the NCCE, urged the women to play an active role in the fight against corruption by holding duty bearers accountable and promoting integrity in their communities and workplaces.
The engagement formed part of the “Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption” project, under the “Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD)” programme.
It was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
The initiative was being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
Mr Angme said corruption was a major obstacle to national development and encouraged the women to champion good governance to help combat corruption and abuse of power.
He explained that the NCCE was implementing targeted educational campaigns for women’s groups in the fight against corruption and the rule of law in 60 districts across the 16 regions of Ghana.
Mr Samson Balazumah, the Nandom Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), educated the participants on the various
forms of corruption including bribery, sexual extortion (sextortion), nepotism, facilitation payments, and conflict of interest.
He also sensitised the participants to the Whistleblower’s Act and the legal protections available to citizens who report corruption-related offences.
“There are laws that protect citizens who report corrupt practices, so report any corrupt activity you experience or witness to CHRAJ to investigate and you will be protected by the law,” Mr Balazumah said.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Lydia Kukua Asamoah